Zambia army solid - minister
MINISTER of Defence Davies Chama assured Parliament yesterday that the Zambia Army was well equipped against any possible attack.
Mr Chama said in winding up the ministry's K3 billion national budget for 2018, that the army was well trained, contrary to assertions by some members of the House that officers were not properly trained or lacked knowledge on how to handle military equipment.
Mr Chama said the Zambian troops were well trained and that it was the reason the United Nations called them for peace missions.
The minister also warned military personnel against engaging in partisan politics or risk being retired in national interest.
"The Zambia Army is well equipped and is able to defend citizens against any possible attack. The United Nations has been calling our troops to their missions because they know they are capable,” he said.
Mr Chama dispelled assertions that the army selected officers on tribal lines and stated that it had a national character.
He said the Zambia Army represented all tribes in Zambia unlike a known political party which advanced a tribalism agenda.
Meanwhile,Parliament yesterday unanimously approved over K700 million in the 2018 National Budget for the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.
Minister of Fisheries and Livestock Michael Katambo told the House that Government through President Edgar Lungu recorgnised fisheries and livestock as one of the key strategic sectors in fostering economic development.
Mr Katambo said the K700,516,160 in the 2018 budget for the ministry excluded the allocations for the provinces which were moved to their respective provincial administration centres.
He said out of the K700,516,160 allocated to the ministry, K50,804,070 would be utilised for personal emoluments while the remaining K649,712,090 would go towards operations and key programmes such as livestock production and animal health and disease control gobbling K309 million.
“Government through President Edgar Lungu recognises fisheries and livestock as one of the key strategic sectors in fostering economic development,” he said.
Mr Katambo, who is Masaiti Patriotic Front MP said 236 dip tanks were earmarked for completion in 2018.
Kalabo UPND MP Chinga Miyutu in his debate implored the minister to expedite the construction of dip tanks to help increase the population of livestock in rural areas.
Mr Miyutu said small-scale farmers were faced with challenges of accessing veterinary officers as most of them were stationed in Lusaka and called on the Government to decentralise its services.
The minister said from January to September 2017 the ministry raised K4,858,832.40 from different activities such as sale of animals to small-scale farmers, fishing licences, diseases diagnostic and import and export sanitary permits against a target of K4,048,811.
Mr Miyutu said there was an increase in cattle population from 4,300,000 in 2014 to 4,984,909 in 2016 representing an increase of 16 percent.
UPND Nalikwanda MP Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa said the population of cattle in Zambia was still low compared to other countries such as Namibia and Kenya and called for more concerted efforts to help improve the situation.